The Fight
by Kanetsuki
Summary: Our two favourite pharmacy employees have a fight. Well, one that's more serious than usual. Amidst the cliches is an idea that I don't think anyone else has written about yet...


Howdy do. I don't normally write in first person, so this was an interesting experiment.  
I hope my formatting is easy to read o.o;;  
Disclaimer: Why, of course i own Lawful Drug... all three volumes. Just not any _rights_ as such. This is why we write FANfiction :)

"Shut up!" he shouted, hair flying about his face in anger. Ordinarily, a riled up Kazahaya, with his cheeks flushed in anger, would be one of my favourite sights. But not this time.  
This time the argument wasn't an opportunity for me to tease him, and for him to vent at me. This time we weren't fooling. Well, not each other, anyway. Maybe ourselves, though.  
"No wonder you're alone!" He yelled vehemently "You're a bastard to anyone who even tries to get close to you!"  
This time there was truth in our arguments.  
"And you? You ran away from your family. And I haven't seen anyone come looking for you."  
I knew my remark would hurt, but I wanted to know. I wanted to know why someone like Kazahaya would be so alone that he would end up dying in the snow all on his own.  
I immediately regretted it though, as I saw tears forming in his eyes.  
But I wasn't prepared for what he would throw back at me.  
"Well at least I don't spend all my time looking for some girl who I'll never find!"  
I reeled back. How could he know about that? About her? Idiot, I cursed myself. He can see memories. I bitterly wondered how much he knew, and for how long.  
I suppose he realised he'd hit a nerve, because I hadn't heard any more shouting while those thoughts had been racing through my head.  
But now it was too late for regrets on his part. He couldn't take those words back.  
"At least I have _someone_!" I shouted before I could help it. I hadn't meant to retaliate, but I found that I couldn't stop. "You want to be alone so much that you'd sell your soul to Kakei if he'd give you the money to move out!" I snarled angrily, refusing to let the pain I felt at this show through.  
"Anything to get away from YOU!" He shouted back so hard he was lost for breath afterwards.  
Our attacks had become vicious, the words piercing us like shuriken, even though neither of us knew what we were talking about.  
We both rambled on about anything and everything that had been on our minds; questions we had been dying to know the answers to, came flying out as hurtful attacks instead.  
"You're a cold blooded bastard who can't connect with anyone in your present because you're stuck in your own past."  
The remark stung.  
"Yeah? Out of all those people on that night, everyone in that crowded plaza, _I_ was the only one who even looked at you. _I_ was the one who picked you up."  
"I... I wish you hadn't! I wish I'd never met you, Rikuo! I'd rather be lying out there alone than anywhere near you!"  
His words shook me. He would rather be lying alone in the snow dying, than with me. Even he seemed a little taken back by his words, which were met with my dead silence. Uncertainly he turned towards the door. His fiery eyes made contact with my own cold eyes for a moment, but finding nothing in my gaze he turned away, slamming the door behind him.  
And for the moment I would have been content to just let him go. Just this once, because for some reason I never can let him go. He always pulls me back, somehow.

I don't know why I mentioned her.  
It's not that it was the only thing I could think of, or anything. I just—Damn him! He doesn't know a goddamn thing about me. How dare that bastard make assumptions about my life! Like he hasn't got problems. Maybe if he wasn't so damn cold to everyone around him.  
"Oi! Baka!"  
That jerk! What the hell did he even want? I turned around to look up at Rikuo on the stairs.  
"Look, maybe you'd rather be dying than here, but I really can't be stuffed saving you tonight. So come back."  
"What makes you think I'm coming back?" I shouted back angrily.  
"Honestly, Kazahaya, I don't care. But if you go wandering around alone at night, you're going to get into trouble and I'm telling you now, I'm not coming to save you."  
"Well who asked you!"  
That jerk! He just assumes I'll need his help! Well I don't! I don't need him at all. I turned around just in time to see him punch the wall. Hmph. Whatever. Kakei can find someone else to do his dirty work – if they can put up with _him_, I thought as I stormed off. I didn't even bother to look where I was going. It's not like I couldn't take care of myself. Why did he even care what happened to me?  
That bastard doesn't care about anyone, except his precious Tsukiko. What was so special about her, anyways? She seemed like a shady person to know, if you ask me. But then again, all I've got to go on are memories I shouldn't have seen. Which is more than Rikuo knows about me and Kei. Maybe that's why I brought her up. But I guess… I guess I made assumptions too. But what am I supposed to do when he won't talk to me except to tease me! Why can't he be a little closer to the people around him?  
Why… can't he be a little closer to me?  
Does he really not like me? Then… why is he always looking out for me? On all those jobs Kakei-san gives us…God, Kakei uses us like puppets. We've almost been killed so many times now. Well, _I've_ almost been killed. Rikuo never seems to get into trouble, even when he's bailing me out of it.  
The thing is, even when we don't have to, we still spend time together. I guess neither of us have anyone else to spend it with, but… Even though we live together, there are so many things I don't know about him. Like the fact that he can play soccer. And… I'd _like_ to know more about him.  
Even Nayuki-san said that we'd make a good… that we would be good friends. But he keeps his distance, and when he does get close, it's only to use me for his own evil entertainment. That bastard.  
Why did he rescue me in the first place, if all he was going to do was make my life a misery?  
Unless…  
The slow crunching of footsteps made me look up, and I realised I had been walking around aimlessly and lost in thought for longer than I realised – the moon was already high in the sky, casting soft shadows around the place. Not only that, but I didn't recognise where I was at all – I was totally lost.  
Dammit! Somehow… this is all his fault!

Goddamit. Stupid, clueless Kazahaya just up and walked out of here, by himself, in the middle of the night. Well if he was thinking I was going to save him, he was wrong. Not after what he'd said tonight.  
That stupid brat could stay out there for all I cared. It's not my job to look after him. Heck, he isn't my responsibility at all.  
Five minutes later I was grabbing my coat and walking down the stairs, not even bothering to lock the room. It wasn't like either of us had anything worth stealing, anyway. For someone so careless and clueless, he didn't leave much of a trail. And my powers wouldn't be any help. If he were here, we would have used his powers to….but then, if he were here, I wouldn't be out looking for him in the first place. I knew that if I really wanted, I could go to Kakei for help, but, knowing him, there would be a price that I really wouldn't want to pay.  
In a way, I wanted to do this alone. _I_ wanted to be the one who came to his rescue, even if he didn't want it (he never does) and even if, right now, I hated him. And I did hate him. I hated him for being able to say those things to me and about me. I hated that they were true. And I hated that after all of them, I still came out here to protect him.  
I rubbed my hands together for warmth. Even through a jacket it was chilly. A light rain started to fall and the thought of Kazahaya wandering around in his thin shirt made me quicken my pace. At the moment my only strategy was to wander about aimlessly, keeping an eye out for anything that might lead me to him.  
I found myself sinking into my old routine, passing the familiar streets I used to walk nightly, partly in search of Tsukiko, but mostly to pass the time. The drizzle seemed to make everything fade into the background. Eventually I came to a stop, realising that I was in the plaza where I first met the cause of my current troubles. But instead of the crowds of bustling people shopping and hurrying home to the warmth of their houses, it was now empty and desolate. Silence replacing the cheerful music and Western Christmas carols. No – not silent. I heard scuffling, like a struggle taking place. My heart gave a jolt and I raced over to a dimly lit side street to find Kazahaya struggling to hold off some stranger. I felt a familiar anger rise within me. Someone dared to hurt _my_ Kazahaya.  
In one swift movement I incapacitated the unfortunate stranger, applying a lot more force than was necessary. Kazahaya just looked at me in stunned silence. I grabbed his arm and practically had to drag him off.  
"Come on," I said, "We're going home."

How the hell did he find me? That's what I'd like to know. Any normal, sensible person would have just let me go. Instead, he somehow ended up saving my skin _again_. We walked back home in silence, the drizzle helping to ease the pain of my few bruises. He was just walking there next to me like nothing had happened. But it had. And I hated him. I hated him for being right. And I hated him for saving me and proving that I couldn't look out for myself. But most of all I hated him for the reason he was doing it all. Now my suspicions were confirmed. It made me… I don't know. Angry, I guess. Like everything he'd ever done for me was a lie. Like all the time we spent together meant nothing at all. Well, it hadn't. Not to me. I used to say I hated him, but I never really meant it. Sure, he annoyed me and made me mad, but hate is really a strong word. But now… how could _anyone_ be that cold? To do what he was doing? It made me feel sick. He noticed my expression and, misinterpreting it, tossed me his jacket. I let it fall to the floor and kept on walking. Usually an act of kindness like that from him would have made me think twice about him, but knowing what I did now, it just made me angrier. Except it didn't just make me angry… it made me…sad…There was a feeling there that I couldn't define.

When we finally got home both of us were cold and shivering from the rain. Kazahaya sat down at the table, refusing to look at me. I don't know why he didn't just go to his room to sulk. I couldn't understand him. I came out to get him _even though we were in the middle of a fight_. I didn't have to do anything. Any normal, sane person wouldn't have. But I went out in the cold and dark to make sure he'd come back alive. I probably saved his life, and instead of any sort of gratitude, he seemed to be even angrier at me. What had I done wrong? I could understand if he was annoyed that I had disproved his independence, but seeing as he had actually needed my help, I didn't think this kind of enmity was justified.  
"Alright – _what_?" I finally asked him in exasperation as I placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him.  
He didn't answer straight away, staring at the swirling patterns the steam was making.  
"I… I'm a job, aren't I?" He answered my question with another question, which I didn't understand. I stood staring at him, trying to decipher his question.  
"Kakei-san…he's paying you to look after me, isn't he?" he asked softly.  
_Huh?  
_"That night you found me…I was a find and retrieve assignment, wasn't I?"  
His voice was dull, but his eyes, which were still focused on his tea, were filled with pain.  
"What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. Why would Kazahaya think that Kakei was paying me to protect him?  
"The things you do…A normal person wouldn't do them. You always save me, even when you don't have to. Sometimes you show up when you shouldn't even know where I am. You'll put yourself in danger to help me, but... then you'll act so cold. Now I know why."  
Even when he's upset, Kazahaya's looks are striking. His usually silky hair was hanging in damp locks by his face, rivulets of water dripping off them to run down his face.  
"That's not why I do it." I replied softly, kneeling down beside him.  
I reached out a hand and gently brushed his hair from his face. He looked at me in pure puzzlement.  
"Then…why…?"  
In answer, I drew closer, my hand still holding back his amber hair, and gently pressed my lips to his.

Instead of throwing insults and random information at each other, I was finally just asking the questions I wanted the answers to.  
Rikuo pulled away slowly from the answer he had given me. It was one I hadn't been expecting. I could already feel the blush rising in my cheeks, but for once I wasn't yelling at him. When I finally found my voice, I said to him quietly,  
"I…don't want to be as far from you as possible, Rikuo."  
For once he didn't say anything stupid and insinuating. He just pulled me back again to kiss me warmly, and I kissed him back, giving him my own answer. Then he stood up, offering me his hand.  
"Now hurry up and get into some dry clothes, before you catch a fever. I don't want to be looking after you all of tomorrow." He said expressionlessly.  
"Huh…?"  
"Or do I have to do it for you, _Kazahaya_?" he smirked in his usual way.  
I felt all the blood rush to my cheeks.  
"You pervert!" I cried loudly. Maybe Rikuo wasn't always the amiable person, but I knew I wouldn't have him any other way.


End file.
